Bartlett maps tourism growth as Jamaica Stock Exchange opens micro market

Several developments shaped the news agenda in Jamaica and the wider Caribbean on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, spanning tourism policy, capital markets, regional aviation, and track and field.

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett is charting a new direction for how the sector should develop, signalling a shift in the government's approach to growth and planning within one of the island's main economic pillars.

In business, the Jamaica Stock Exchange has launched a micro market aimed at helping small businesses raise capital. The initiative is designed to widen access to formal funding channels for firms that may struggle to meet the requirements of the main board.

Across the region, Belize is pushing to expand airlift even as higher departure fees have stirred concern. The tension between boosting connectivity and the cost burden on travellers sits at the centre of that debate.

In sport, a Jamaican triple jumper has set sights on reaching the historic 18.29-metre mark — a benchmark long associated with the event's elite standard and a target that would place any athlete among the discipline's all-time performers.